Spring is officially in the air, as the season kicked off at 5:29 this morning with the onset of the vernal equinox. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the Climate Prediction Center forecasts a hot and wet spring for Louisiana. He says that’s because of neutral conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

“Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are currently running warmer than normal, and they’re expected to continue to do so, leading to this forecast for hot and wet conditions across the state for the next three months,” Keim said.

Keim says this means the chances of another freeze in the Bayou State are very low, and we can expect an early start to the growing season. He says we’ve been in warm conditions throughout the winter, and the wet spring weather has already started.

“We’ve been in a relatively wet pattern for the past couple of weeks, and that pattern is expected to continue,” Keim said.

Keim says it’s not unprecedented for Louisiana to see a cold front in April or even May. But he says it likely won’t bring the same freezing temperatures we saw last month. He doesn’t expect the cold fronts to get that cold.

“In fact, if we get a front through here, it’s probably going to bring some delightful weather. So let’s hope we actually get some of those and have some of the best weather that Louisiana has to offer,” Keim said.